Zurich, Switzerland (Zurich University of the Arts)
#00063
Implementer
Andrin Stocker & Luc Schweizer (Zurich University of the Arts / ZHdK)
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2025
Location
Description
bloc° is a 2025 industrial-design bachelor's thesis by Andrin Stocker and Luc Schweizer at ZHdK. It is a modular, solar-powered evaporative cooler built from stackable 3D-printed single-fired terracotta bricks. Each brick holds internal water chambers and air channels; a solar-powered pump keeps the ceramic wet and solar-powered fans force warm air through it. A funnel-shaped roof harvests rainwater and a small PV panel runs the active parts, enabling autonomous operation at a tram stop, plaza, or schoolyard. Status is design/prototype only — the project's own stated next step is to field-test a full-scale 1:1 prototype in real urban conditions, especially humid climates. No real-world deployment or independent field measurement exists yet.
Metrics
4Lessons learned
- Per-brick internal water storage removes the capillary-height limit that constrains wick-fed ceramic coolers, allowing modules to stack freely in height and width — a structural design decision any replicator must address.
- The water balance is not closed: ~56 L/day is needed on hot days vs ~24 L/day harvested by the funnel roof, so mains or greywater top-up infrastructure must be planned for.
- Active solar airflow is the design's bid to make evaporative cooling viable in higher-humidity climates such as Central Europe — plausible but unproven in the field and requiring validation before deployment.
Sources
2Documented Jun 13, 2026